Editor 's note : Rep. Jason Chaffetz , a Republican , represents the 3rd District of Utah in Congress and is appearing in CNN.com 's `` Freshman Year '' series , along with Rep. Jared Polis , a Democrat from Colorado . Here , his wife , Julie Chaffetz , talks about how she copes with the challenges of her freshman year as a `` congressional spouse . ''

Julie Chaffetz and her husband , Rep. Jason Chaffetz , pose in front of a view of Washington .

WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In reality , there 's a lot more to serving in Congress than simply voting on the House floor . There are plenty of tasks -- technically optional -- that are essential for someone who wants to do this job well .

No one makes you read the bills , but to do the job right , you must . There are constituents to meet with , letters to answer , staff to manage , media to respond to and new bills to research . These duties can eat up as much time as I can give .

I 'm learning to balance the workload . The real challenge for me is setting the work aside . My family is still the center of my life . I look forward to that flight home every single weekend .

Through trial and error , Julie and I have learned some important strategies for making our family time count . I have learned to schedule time individually with each of my children . I also schedule time to date my wife . We met at a wedding in Arizona and started dating shortly after when I was a senior and Julie was a junior at Brigham Young University in 1989 . We married in February 1991 .

Julie 's challenges are different from mine . I 'll let her explain what it 's like to be a congressional spouse .

Julie Chaffetz : As I sit down for a moment to type , I 'm strangely aware that 10-finger typing is much harder than thumb texting -- a symptom of my life . Time seems to be flying , as the saying goes , and it is fun . Since Jason was elected to Congress , I have learned to adapt to many new challenges .

Perspective is everything . Jason loves his job ; I love my job . Raising three children to be healthy , happy contributors to society is my quest . Nurturing our 8 , 13 and 16-year-olds is a lesson in constant motion -- or rather , commotion . It 's important to me that they feel centered and cared for . Although I 'm not a perfect mother , I 've got great kids who reward me with hugs , smiles , occasional pouts and late-night chats .

Planning is crucial . Before Congress , I tended to deal with things day-by-day . Now , time is precious . During our campaign I received some sage advice from Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake 's wife , Cheryl . She recommended that when Jason is in Washington , I spend time doing the things I need to do on my own , such as errands , volunteering , time with friends , helping with homework , and home projects like learning how to repair a toilet -- and yes , I mastered this skill ! So , when Jason is home , we can use our time as a family working , reconnecting and having fun .

I 'm a people person . Family and friends are a big part of my support . I 'm the youngest of six and I have an amazing family . My parents and siblings are settled everywhere from Minnesota to Arizona . Fortunately , Utah is a great midpoint . We regularly have company ; so much so that we 've earned the nickname `` Hotel Chaffetz . ''

For day-to-day support , I 'm lucky to have two very close friends . Our kids have grown up together and my friends are always there when I need anything : from picking my kids up from school if I 'm running late , tending our dogs when we travel , or giving me a pep talk just when I need it .

I also belong to a book club of six women . We have been laughing , counseling and spilling our guts to each other once a month for the past 16 years . And we still manage to read good books , too . One of my recent favorites is `` The Glass Castle '' by Jeannette Walls .

Above all , I have learned to be flexible and keep my sense of humor . Recently , I was in Washington with Jason when he decided the right thing to do was to fly to Antigua and help some Americans out . Although I was tempted to be bugged , I chose to be flexible . I spent the rest of my day without Jason , flew home alone , and arranged for a ride home from the airport . Good friends are priceless . I 'm the CEO of Utah Chaffetz and lovin ' it !

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jason Chaffetz and Julie Chaffetz .

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Rep. Chaffetz 's wife , Julie , is raising three children ; writes `` perspective is everything ''

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`` Planning is crucial . '' Julie used to go with the flow , but `` now , time is precious ''

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Julie Chaffetz says support from family and close friends keeps her going

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Says being flexible important as plans change or the need to travel comes up